


Teen Romance

by magnetgirl



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Friends With Benefits, Love Triangles, Multi, Next Generation, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Younger Avengers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 00:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnetgirl/pseuds/magnetgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Superheroes can't go on a date without being tailed by someone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teen Romance

**Author's Note:**

> Younger Avengers continuity; this fic features the following original characters:
> 
> Bianca Banner (Hulk), daughter of Bruce and Elizabeth Banner  
> Jake Barnes (Nomad), son of James Barnes and Natalia Romanova  
> Lindy Barnes (Ophelia), daughter of James and Jessica Jones-Barnes from an alternate universe  
> Trick Barton (Trickshot), son of Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse  
> Amelia Danvers (Spider-Girl), daughter of Peter Parker and Carol Danvers  
> Bobby Morse (Bluebird), son of Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse  
> Ben Parker (Captain Marvel), son of Peter Parker and Carol Danvers  
> Anthony Rogers (Shield), son of Steve and Sharon Carter Rogers  
> Jamie Rogers (Patriot), daughter of Steve and Sharon Carter Rogers  
> Ginny Stark (Iron Heart), daughter of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts  
> Vincent Strange (Merlin), son of Stephen Strange  
> Liv Thor (Valkyrie), daughter of Thor and Jane Foster
> 
> Established pairings: Rikki/Anya, Bobbi/Jessica, Ben/Ginny, Jake/Amelia, Vincent/Anthony (aka Mr. Cute)

Bobbi Morse has tracked criminals, supervillains, and dignitaries all over the world. She'd run a multibillion dollar multinational anti-terrorist covert operation. And she'd spent more nights than she cares to admit tracking her ex-husband. But sitting in a dark corner of Joe's Spaghetti watching her younger son's first real date unfold made her more nervous than she remembered being.

"So. This is nice." The window table had been Anya's idea. The restaurant had been Anya's idea. Bobby didn't know enough about New York or first dates to choose without help. But Anya had advice for everything from locale to attire. The only thing she wouldn't help with is how to act. _Be yourself_ , she'd said, as if it was easy. It probably was easy for Anya. But for Bobby it was sometimes hard to even know who that is.

Bianca cocked her head. "You've never been?"

"No."

"Oh. It's nice."

"Yeah," agreed Bobby, then, "Yes." The way Bianca sat in her chair made Bobby's spine hurt looking at it, but at the same time it made him want to impress her all the more. He sat up straighter and tried to think more like Anthony. "I guess not as nice as you're used to."

She frowned. "Why would you say that?"

Oops. "I don't know, you're…"

"A snob?"

"What?" He shook his head. "No!" Bianca was still, waiting for his explanation. "No, I mean, like, you know, classy."

She raised an eyebrow. "Classy?"

"Like that fashion sh--ow--" This could be going better.

"Yes, I appreciate fashion."

"Cool." Bobby swallowed, the arrival of the waiter saved him from coming up with a better answer right away.

But it was going to be a long night.

Rikki sat back in her chair. "This is painful."

"Shhh." Sequestered in a dark corner -- just opposite Bobbi's dark corner, though neither Rikki nor Anya knew it -- they couldn't hear a thing the kids were saying. But that didn't stop Anya from trying.

"I don't want to watch." Rikki didn't need to hear what they were saying; the body language spoke volumes. File under "trying too hard" (Bobby) and "wondering WTF I'm doing here" (Bianca).

"Shhh!"

Rikki folded her arms. "You owe me more than dancing for this."

"Stop complaining."

"I don't like meddling."

Anya rolled her eyes. "We're not meddling."

"We are staking out a date you set up."

"Exactly!" Anya grinned. "Staking out is not meddling!"

Rikki looked at her in disbelief. "You're insane."

"Shhh."

Bobbi hid a smile behind her wine glass. She hadn't thought to bring two listening kits, hadn't expected Anya would be following the young couple, too. But she didn't need to hear what they were saying, either. File under "trying too hard" (Anya) and "wondering WTF I'm doing here" (Rikki).

Her phone buzzed with a text from Jess.

  
Touchdown.

Where?

Some crappy theater about as far off-broadway as you can go. It's a poetry thing.

Poetry?

Poetry. Performance art. Crap. You owe me BIG.

Just keep an eye on them.

Bobbi set her phone down and returned her attention to the table by the window.

++

Amelia started at Vincent's sudden intake of breath. He pointed to a sign, _New Members ALWAYS welcome! Join the show in progress!_ She shook her head vehemently. "No."

"Come on, Spidey, this place needs me."

"You'll blow our cover."

"So?"

"No interference, V, you promised."

"That was when I thought we were going somewhere boring." Amelia pursed her lips. Vincent sighed dramatically, but followed her quietly into the dark theater and took seats outside of Trick's or Lindy's sight. "Why didn't you just suggest a double date the way you did when you set up me and Mr. Cute?"

Amelia shook her head at him, but her eyes remained fixed on the couple. "I didn't set this up."

Vincent sat back in his seat. "Hmm."

"Hmmm?" asked Amelia, still faced away.

"Hmmmmmm," was Vincent's only answer. Amelia finally turned to look at him directly, eyes flashing with something between impatience and annoyance. Vincent laughed in victory. "You are _adorable_ when you're jealous."

Amelia huffed. "Who am I supposed to be jealous of?

Vincent shook his head and pantomimed zipping his lips closed. Amelia glared but she knew it was hopeless. He grinned at her. "Who _did_ set this up?"

"It was Ben's idea."

For whatever reason, this delighted Vincent. "The plot thickens."

"Huh?"

He leaned closer, conspiracy in his eyes. "Was Ginny there?"

"Yeah." He clapped once. She ignored it. "I don't think he was really really serious serious but they all started talking at once and somehow it ended up with Trick saying he was game and Lindy's just Lindy and... here we are." She shrugged.

"Sure. Here we are." He looked oddly smug. It was annoying.

" _What_?"

Vincent put an arm around her shoulders. "Ben suggested Trick go on a date with Lindy to prove to Ginny he's not interested in Lindy. And Ginny said it was a great idea to prove to Ben _she_ 's not interested in Trick. And _Trick_ agreed to go to prove he _is_ interested in Ginny. And Lindy agreed to go to prove to Ben she's girlfriend material. Everything is very clear except for one thing."

Amelia frowned. "How does Trick going on a date with Lindy prove he's interested in Ginny?"

"No."

"No?"

"No, that's not the one unclear thing."

She hit his hand. "That wasn't a guess, that was a question!"

" _Oh_." He grinned. "Sorry. Because it proves he pays attention to what she wants."

"That's dumb."

Vincent shrugged. "Teen romance."

Amelia pursed her lips and settled into his embrace. They were quiet a moment, watching.

"What's the one thing?"

Vincent gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Why are _you_ following them?"

She met his eyes. "Lindy's never been on a date before."

"So?"

"So, I worry."

"That she'll find someone else she likes as much as you?" He paused, and added, "Or your brother?"

Amelia pulled away, shaking with indignation. "No!"

He smiled. It was infuriating. "Adorable."

"I am not jealous! I want Lindy to be happy!"

Vincent touched a gentle finger to her angry tears. "I believe you, Spidey." She didn't fight as he pulled her back close with his other arm. They watched.

"Are you excited about the play?" Somehow Amelia had convinced both Lindy and Ginny to try out for the school's fall production. If anyone had asked Trick first he would have looked askance but no one ever asked Trick first. And in this case it was probably a good thing, both had surprised him with their aplomb.

"I am looking forward to the meetings."

He smiled; Trick found Lindy's cadence terribly amusing and only hoped she'd understand that is a compliment. "Well, that's something."

She frowned slightly. "What is it?"

"What is what?"

"What is the something it is?"

"Oh!" His eyes lit up. _Terribly_ amusing! "Well. Hmm. I don't know! What do you think it is?"

There was a long pause as she considered and reconsidered at least a dozen responses and finally looked at him with wide, and troubled, eyes. But Trick gave her a winning smile and a pat on her hand.

"This is going to be really good for you."

Her frown deepened. "Why?"

"Just watch." He pointed to the stage. "Learn."

After one last, long look at the strange boy beside her, she turned her eyes to the performer and studied as only Lindy can.

Amelia nudged Vincent. "I think they're getting along…?"

"And?"

"That's good?"

"Good for whom?"

Amelia bit her lip. "Good for them?"

Vincent narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are you uncertain?"

"I don't know?"

He chuckled. "You don't know?"

"I don't know!" The whisper was so loud she may as well have been shouting. Amelia clasped her hand over her mouth and pulled Vincent down to the floor by his shirt collar as heads flipped around toward them from all over the theater. They sat crouched behind the seats, waiting in silence until the shifting stopped as the patrons settled back to watch the show. Vincent raised his eyebrows at Amelia. She turned to sit on the floor, still hidden.

"This was a dumb idea."

He chuckled again and shrugged. "Teen romance."

Jess Drew rolled her eyes at the twosome now hiding between the row of seats. Amateurs. But at least they were smart enough to bring someone to talk to. She was certain the "poetry reading" was killing off what brain cells she had left. Jess pulled out her phone and hit a number.

"You owe me more than dinner for this," she hissed.

"What's going on?" Bobbi asked just as quietly.

"I'm trapped in hipster hell, that's what's going on."

"Do they know you're there?"

"How should I know?"

Silence. Jess rolled her eyes again.

"I don't think so, okay?"

"Okay. Does he look happy?"

Jess twirled a strand of hair absently. Brain cells. Dying. "He always looks happy."

"Does _she_ look happy?"

"Does she ever?"

"This is not helpful, Jessica." Jess could hear her scowl through the phone.

"Hipster hell, Bobbi." She sighed. "How's Lady and the Tramp?"

"Who?"

Honestly. "Bianca and Bobby."

"My son is not a tramp!"

Jess rubbed her temples. "It's a movie. About dogs. They eat spaghetti."

Silence again.

"Never mind, how are they?"

"I don't know, I can't tell." Then bloody why are we doing this?, Jess very nearly screamed. "Don't you think she's too old for him?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. He's an old soul."

"You think so?"

"No."

Bobbi paused. "What?"

Jess rolled her eyes again. "I'm going home, okay?"

"You can't leave!"

"I don't want to stalk your kids anymore. It stopped being fun before I got here."

"It's not supposed to be fun!"

Jess really wished she could punch people through the phone. iPunch. Someone make it happen. "What's it supposed to be?"

Silence.

"Exactly."

"Please?"

Jess sighed and sat back in her chair. "A _lot_ more than dinner." She ended the call.

"How was your first date, V?"

Vincent smiled. They were still on the floor, hidden between two rows of seats, Amelia curled up small against him. "Awkward. Messy. Exciting. Childish."

"Yeah."

He brushed her hair back from her face. "Yeah?"

She shrugged. "Sounds about right."

"How was your first date, Spidey?"

She shrugged again. "I went to the eighth grade formal with this guy in my math class. I don't remember his name. He couldn't dance and I was really mean. I stopped in the middle of a song and said I couldn't possibly be in a relationship with a boy who can't dance and I made a big production of walking away. I went home with Jamie and we laughed about him for hours."

"And then you made out."

"Yeah."

Vincent blinked. "…I was kidding."

Amelia angled her head against his chest to meet his eyes. "I'm not. It was our first real dance, we'd talked about it for weeks, and that's how the evening was supposed to end. Jamie said just because my date was a loser doesn't mean I shouldn't get my first kiss."

Vincent shook his head. "How did I not know this?"

"I'm shy about some things."

He wrapped her into a tight hug. "I'm proud of you, Spidey."

She scrunched her nose. "Because my first kiss was with a girl?"

"Because Jake can't dance."

Her face broke into a big smile. "Well. He's super at everything else."

++

Jamie sneezed.

"Bless you," said Liv, solemnly.

"Weird." Jamie shook her head. "Someone must be talking about me."

Liv's expression was querying.

"If you sneeze for no reason it's 'cuz someone's talking about you," explained Jamie.

"Or you hair is wet," posited Liv, pointing at Jamie's head, wet from their shower after an hour in the gym. Jamie giggled. Liv liked it when she giggled. "Is this a date?"

Jamie stopped mid-giggle and stared. "Uh. No?"

Liv nodded and returned to walking. Jamie watched a minute before running after.

"Wait. Do you want it to be a date?"

Liv considered. "No, I don't think so."

"Oh." Jamie stopped again.

"I would like to go on a date."

"Oh." She hurried to catch up a second time. "Wait. With me?"

Liv glanced over with a confused expression on her face. "Yes."

"Okay!" Jamie blinked. "Right now?"

"We are having coffee right now."

Jamie shrugged. They'd agreed to meet Anthony. But he wouldn't mind if she called it a date. "It can be a ...coffee date."

"Okay."

Jamie linked her arm with Liv's and set off, grinning.

++

Anya tutted. "I don't think it's going well."

"Does that mean we can leave?"

"No. Shhh."

"You start--"

Anya swatted her. "Shh!"

Rikki stood up and when Anya looked over in alarm she mouthed _I'm leaving_.

 _Please_ , Anya mouthed back, hands clasped as in prayer.

The ensuing silent, but incredibly animated, argument was halted when Bobbi, determined to keep the squabbling from Bobby and Bianca, threw a roll at the two of them.

Anya sputtered in indignation and was about to send off a stream of more colorful insults in Bobbi's direction, but Rikki noticed the young couple were standing and covered her mouth. At Anya's frown she pointed to the window. The three adults froze and strained to listen.

Bobby handed Bianca her coat and at the last minute remembered he should help her with it. This resulted in a bit of a stumble but Bianca ignored it politely. "Um. Do you want me to walk you home?"

There was a long pause as Bianca considered him. Bobby blushed under her gaze and looked at his feet. "Let's get some coffee."

Bobby looked up, a small smile on his lips. Bianca offered a hand. He took it gladly and they made their way out.

Anya's smile was huge as she watched them leave. When they'd turned the corner she broke into a little dance. Rikki smiled.

" _Now_ , can we leave?"

"Si!"

++

Trick's phone buzzed just as the performers were taking their bows.

Need your help.

?

Having coffee w/Bi. Anthony here. Bring Lindy to distract.

?

PLEASE.

Trick smiled. He actually enjoyed being the big brother.

I'll ask her.

He glanced over to find Lindy watching him. She nodded at the stage, as the lights came up, making her eyes twinkle.

"Thank you."

Trick gave her a little bow. "You are very welcome, Miss Lindy. Shall we?"

"Shall we?"

He shook the phone in his hand. "Bobby, Bianca, and Anthony are having coffee. Would you like to join them?" She hesitated. "Or I can bring you home."

Lindy shook her head. "Okay."

Trick nodded and typed into his phone.

On our way.

Peering through the chairs, still crouched on the floor, Amelia and Vincent watched until they were out of sight.

"Coffee?" asked Vincent.

"Coffee!" nodded Amelia. They stood and Amelia pulled out her phone to send a couple texts as she skipped down the stairs.

++

The group had all but taken over the coffee shop. There weren't enough chairs so Vincent offered to sit on Anthony's lap, prompting Anthony to offer to stand. They compromised by sharing.

"Is this part of the date?" Lindy asked Trick quietly as they picked up their coffee.

"Sure. But now it's a group date."

Her brow furrowed.

"It's ...evolution."

Her frown turned querying.

"Everything evolves, right?"

Lindy blinked. "Do … feelings?"

Trick followed her gaze to Ben and Ginny entering the cafe. He smiled. "Yes."

"You guys gotta share, too," Amelia told Ben and Ginny as they joined the crowd. Ben nodded and sat but Ginny blushed and stood, pulling at her skirt. Amelia pursed her lips. "Fine." She stood and nudged Ginny over to her abandoned chair. "You can have my seat." Ginny stared as Amelia sat on her brother's lap, but she only had herself to blame. She sat and accepted a biscotti from Bianca.

"Everyone present and accounted for," said Jess from across the street. Bobbi didn't answer. "And entwined. Can we go now?" Nothing. "It's almost curfew. Shouldn't you be home when they get home?"

Bobbi lowered her goggles. "They look happy."

"They do," agreed Jess.

"Do you think they _are_ happy."

"I think they're teenagers."

Bobbi shook her head. "But objectively."

"How was that not objective?"

Bobbi gave her a pleading look. Jess rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Objectively… two words come to mind."

"Is one of them happy?"

"No. Cute."

"Oh." Bobbi smiled. "Aww. Cute. I like cute. What's the other word?"

"Disaster."

Bobbi blinked. She put her goggles back up to her eyes. The last customers not a part of the Young(er) Avengers left the cafe as Jake entered. Amelia jumped up and bounded over with a wide smile. Bobbi looked away as they kissed, feeling a bit too much like a voyeur for her comfort. But when she looked back Amelia was staring at her.

"Busted," said Jess. Clearly Jake had seen them and one by one the group looked over. Most of them looked confused or amused but Bobby was glaring. Trick, however, grinned and waved affably. Bobbi was frozen, and muttering something about Russian spies under her breath, but Jess waved back. "Now can we go?"

"Yes."

Jess smiled and pulled Bobbi away. "It's okay, you're supposed to embarrass them."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. You earned a gold star in parenting tonight."

Bobbi laughed. "You coming back?"

"Are you asking because you want to spend time with me or because you can't face your sons alone when they come home in half an hour?"

"Uhhhhhh."

Jess shook her head. " _More_ than dinner."

Bobbi gave her a quick but heartfelt hug. "It's a date."


End file.
